Reviewed by S. MacDonald
I don’t know anything about Joyce Carol Oates.
Nothing.
I’ve never stumbled across any article about her, have never talked to anyone about her, nothing. The only things I ever thought about her were that a) she most likely writes romantic stories that help empower women in one way or another b) her name makes her a candidate for being a lone assassin.
I went into this thing blind (the same as almost every other review because I am uncultured and ignorant on almost all fronts) and equipped with only my preconception (i.e. that in spite of this being a collection of mystery and suspense stories it would still undoubtedly be “chick-lit”).
Annislee, a 13 year old enjoying the final days of a fading summer, gets herself in over her head when she agrees to spend time with a few young men on the opposite of the lake from where she and her family vacation. The men in this story, like most young men with too much free time and sunshine, have booze and broads on their minds. The situation worsens when an innocent game of cards devolves into a game of strip poker.
This short story is not what’s going to get me reading more Joyce Carol Oates. I can confidently say this is exactly why I have never been exposed to her work before.
One of my biggest complaints was that it took 20 plus pages to do what could have been done in five. Now I would assume that her prose is one of her biggest selling points as far as her readers are concerned but it does nothing for me. I should also mention that I prefer a certain economy of language when it comes to fiction so this review is not objective in the least.
My other major complaint is that potential rape should carry more weight than I felt it did here. It felt less like Irreversible and more like Dazed and Confused. The men were cartoonish oafs, not sinister monsters.
Everything seemed too cute. I know it might sound strange to say that a story about predatory men is cute but I felt no urgency, no danger. The way that Strip Poker wraps up felt about on par with having Annislee wink knowingly into the camera.
The only positive thing I can think to mention is the hilariously creepy shit the “Boiled Face Man” says to Annislee as she’s hiding in a bathroom stall. And with that being said I leave with you the only positive thing I’m taking away from this – ‘Li’l girl, d’you need help? Need help in there? Wiping your li’l bottom? I can wipe, and I can lick. I’m real good at that.’
S. Mac Donald is attempting to read and review every book on Allan Guthrie’s Top 200 Noirs list. His attempts are here on Spinetingler. You can follow him on Twitter @200Noirs
I think this is a very fair, and accurate, review of the story. I also thought what should have been a much more menacing scenario failed to ever really deliver.
OK. 2 reviews in and it’s in the balance.